Thursday, August 13, 2009

Happy Summer!

WE STILL HAVE ROOM FOR ABOUT 50 MORE CSA MEMBERS (keep in mind membership will be closed off after Labor Day regardless if we’re filled up or not)! So, if you know of anyone who’d be interested…have them stop by the CSA, contact me, or give them a CSA brochure (we have copies at the sign-in desk).

Required CSA reading J

http://noteatingoutinny.com/2009/07/29/how-to-cope-with-csa-stress/#more-3668

Included in this email...

1. Your CSA needs you this week!! We’re looking for ONE (1) person to work from 3:30 to 5:30pm and TWO (2) people to work from 5:30 to 7:30pm.

2. It’s time to weigh our food!

3. Yes Virginia, You Can Cook Cauliflower Leaves (Broccoli too)

4. This week’s list (subject to change without notice…farming is like that J )

5. What to do if you’re running late???

6. Fun, Cool & Interesting Stuff (new stuff added weekly...really!)

7. Do you garden? Want organic seedlings from your CSA farm???

8. What you actually got last week

9. Do you eat fish? If so, check these out…

1. Your CSA needs you this week!! We’re looking for ONE (1) person to work from 3:30 to 5:30pm and TWO (2) people to work from 5:30 to 7:30pm.

If interested, please respond to this email before 1pm today OR call 631-421-4864 till 1pm today OR call the CSA at 631-385-1079 after 3pm today OR just show up a little before 5:30pm at the CSA and offer to work if there's still an empty slot on the CSA Work Sign-up Sheet (or 3:30 as you never know who will and won’t show up). ALWAYS FILL THE CSA WORK SHEET OUT IN PENCIL!!! Life is too unpredictable for being written in pen!

2. It’s time to weigh our food!

Yup! It’s that time of year. Sounds easy right? Put food in the scale and weigh it, right? Not exactly the case.

1. Bring your reading glasses if you need them OR have the person by the scale read it for you

2. Most important…PLEASE ERR ON THE SIDE OF BEING WEIGHING UNDER THE AMOUNT RATHER THAN OVER THE AMOUNT GIVEN!!!!

I can’t emphasize this enough. All we need is a few people thinking that it’s no big deal to be a smidge over the amount and….it is! Just think about it…1 oz…what’s that? Two Green Beans? So what???? Ok…we have 92 CSA members and if 32 of them go over by that 1 oz that adds up to 2 pound and it may mean that one or two people don’t get ANY Beans at the end of the night. Serves them right for coming late, huh? That’s not how the CSA works. Everyone paid the same amount to receive the same amount of food so it’s up to each one of us to make sure that happens.

3. Please don’t drop the scales…the top sometimes sticks to the bottom and lifts it up when you’re getting your food out of the measuring bowl and so the bottom then drops on the floor and breaks…just be aware and please be careful…thanks!

4. There will be a plastic bag in the scale…don’t take it with you! We use it to keep the vegetables from falling out of the bowl and, believe it or not, keep the weight consistant. Different plastic bags weigh different amounts. So, weigh it in the bag that’s in the scale and then dump the food into your own bag/basket/carrier. Thanks!

5. You’ll see a piece of tape on the part of the scale with the numbers on it. All you have to do is make sure the red line of the scale doesn’t go behind the tape so you can’t see it. Also, you have to stand directly in front of the scale (which should have the correct amount centered to the front of the table) because if you stand to the side…you can still see the red line but you’re going over the correct amount.

3. Yes Virginia, You Can Cook Cauliflower Leaves (Broccoli too)

http://www.newsday.com/columnists/other-columnists/burning-questions-how-to-cook-cauliflower-1.1348465

4. This week’s list (subject to change without notice…farming is like that J )

August 13, 2009

Week # 17

1. Eggplant

2. Lettuce

3. Cucumber

4. Cabbage, Green

5. Squash, Summer

6. Beans: Green (?)

7. Leeks

Total Items – 6 (?)

Flower Share

Week #9 – Statice

5. What to do if you’re running late???

It happens…you’re planning on making it to the CSA and something happens…I think they call it life.

So, what can you do if you don’t want to miss the CSA pickup (or die trying to get there at the speed of…very fast)?

A. Call the UUFH Hall Phone (631-385-1079) no later than 7:30pm and see (if you won’t be too late) if someone can wait for you. We’re usually cleaning up till about 8pm but are often out earlier

B. Call the UUFH Phone (631-385-1079) no later than 7:30pm and have your fellow CSA members pack a bag for you and you can pick it up at CSA member Debbie Greenwood’s house (on a bench by her front door). Debbie’s address is 2 Recreation Lane…so easy! Go down Lovers Lane (if you walk out of the UUFH and look to your right, you’re looking up Lovers Lane) to the first left turn, go down three blocks & it’s the last house on the left (not scary at all…movie reference you’ll get…or not) and you can’t go any further without turning left or right. Pull into the driveway and please be careful of wandering pets in the driveway…

http://www.mapquest.com/maps?city=Huntington&state=NY&address=2+Recreation+Lane&zipcode=11743

C. Do you know at least two other CSA members? If not, I’ll be emailing about that next week. Get at least two other CSA members’ contact info so if you’re in a spot, you can contact them to get your food for you and they could hold it till the next day or whatever you arrange.

Keep the UUFH Hall Phone number in whatever you need to make sure you have it AT ALL TIMES! It could come in handy. However, only use it on Thursdays between 3pm and 8pm otherwise whoever picks up may have NO IDEA what the heck you’re talking about.

6. Fun, Cool & Interesting Stuff

Friday, August 14th

1pm

Cooking Demo

Macy’s

151 W 34th St (between Broadway & 7th Ave)

NYC

FREE

Chef Christopher Burgos, Culinary Chairman of the Career Academy of NY will demonstrate how to use fresh herbs that can be grown in the garden or in an apartment. Come enjoy a taste!

Saturday, August 15th

11:45am

Wildman Foraging Tour

Muttontown Preserve

East Norwich

For more info & reservations:

www.wildmanstevebrill.com

914-835-2153

$15 - Adults, $10 - younger than 12

If you've never been...you should treat yourself to go at least once. If you've gone...you know why you want to check this out!

Sunday, August 16th

3 to 7pm

6th Annual Vegan BBQ & Soy Ice Cream Social

Elwood Park Pavillion

Cuba Hill Rd

E Northport

$17 General Public, $10 Children 10 and under, $15 Members of Club Veg

RSVP at 631-821-5836

Tuesday, August 18th

11:30am to 1pm

Early Summer Lunch Club at Sang Lee Farm

25180 County Rd 48

Peconic

$55.00 (payable in advance)

Reservations: 631-734-7001

Join us for fabulous tastings, cooking tips, delicious recipes, and lunch paired with Borghese wine. Always serving the freshest seasonal items from the farm, the lunch club features delightfully simple, healthy and delicious approaches to cooking.

Ann Marie Borghese joins us for each lunch offering tastings of her wine for every item served and practical suggestions for any event.

Thursday, August 20th

1pm

Cooking Demo

Macy’s

151 W 34th St (between Broadway & 7th Ave)

NYC

FREE

Join Melody McGinley Whitelaw, owner of The Main Event by Melody and Kid’s Green Kitchen for healthy and green cooking with fresh organic vegetables.

Sunday, August 23rd

10am to 5pm

Vermont Cheesemakers Festival

Shelburne, VT

http://vtcheesefest.com/

General Admission $20, Seminars $45

1st one – 100 varieties of cheese, 40 makers, demos, authors, chefs, tastings, seminars

Tuesday, September 1st

4 to 6pm

Mustard Cover Crops for Control of Soil-borne Diseases

Long Island Horticulture Research and Extension Center

3059 Sound Avenue

Riverhead

FREE

Join Plant Pathologist, Meg McGrath and Vegetable Specialist, Sandy Menasha for a tour of research plots where mustard cover crops are being grown as an alternative to pesticides in managing weeds, improving soil health, and combating soil-borne diseases in strawberries, root crops, and potatoes. Come see different mustard cover crops species growing and view their positive effects! Rain or Shine.

Saturday, September 5th

12:30pm

Wildman Foraging Tour

Sunken Meadow Park

Kings Park

For more info & reservations:

www.wildmanstevebrill.com

914-835-2153

$15 - Adults, $10 - younger than 12

If you've never been...you should treat yourself to go at least once. If you've gone...you know why you want to check this out!

Monday, September 7th

Noon to 4pm

Slow Food’s “Time for Lunch” National Day of Action Community Picnic

Manor Farm

210 Manor Rd

Huntington

FREE

“It should be a birthright of all children in America to have a delicious/nutritious lunch everyday. We must make our children's health our number one priority by making their healthy school lunch part of their life-long wellness." - Chef Ann Cooper “The Renegade Lunch Lady”


Time for Lunch is a National campaign to raise awareness of the need for major improvements to the National School Lunch Program. Over 100 eat-ins are scheduled to take place across the country. The website was just launched- please add your name to the petition!
http://www.slowfoodusa.org/index.php/campaign/time_for_lunch/

Thursday, September 10th

3 to 6pm

Help Work the Farm at Historic Sylvester Manor, followed by potluck/cookout and farm work song singalong

RSVP required to info@gardenofevefarm.com , NOFA (Northeast Organic Farmers Association www.nofany.org ) Members ONLY $5

Come see unique, historic Sylvester Manor and Bennett Konesni's recent efforts to bring the Manor's fields back into their agricultural glory. Gather at 3 pm for a tour of the grounds and house, including an 1810 wind-powered flour mill, and learn about the Manor's unique place in the history of American food. At 4 pm we'll all lend a hand towards the field work, wherever we are needed. At 6:30pm we'll break to enjoy a potluck supper/cookout, and then we'll gather round the fire make music into the night! Bring grill food, drinks, instruments and voices, a song or poem, and be prepared to play and sing traditional agrarian music, from field hollers to appalachian ballads.

Saturday, September 26th

10am-6pm

Sixth Annual Long Island Garlic Festival

Garden of Eve Farm

4558 Sound Avenue

Riverhead

Admission just $2 per person, children under 6 free. A portion of the proceeds are donated to NOFA-NY

map and directions at www.gardenofevefarm.com


Love Garlic? You will want to check out Long Island's only Garlic Festival, dedicated to celebrating food, farming, and family fun. This all-weekend celebration features organic garlic, a wide variety of garlic inspired foods, crafts, live music, puppet theater, and sustainability information.. Rain or Shine.

The Hotline at…

Giacomo Jack’s

www.thehotline.net

CSA member John Morina is the drummer with the rock/blues/funk quartet, The Hotline. Check it out for big fun!

Sunday, September 27th

10am to 6pm

Sixth Annual Long Island Garlic Festival

(see September 26th)

Sunday, October 25th

12:30pm

Wildman Foraging Tour

Sunken Meadow Park

Kings Park

For more info & reservations:

www.wildmanstevebrill.com

914-835-2153

$15 - Adults, $10 - younger than 12

If you've never been...you should treat yourself to go at least once. If you've gone...you know why you want to check this out!

Sunday, November 1st

11:45pm

Wildman Foraging Tour

Muttown Preserve

East Norwich

For more info & reservations:

www.wildmanstevebrill.com

914-835-2153

$15 - Adults, $10 - younger than 12

If you've never been...you should treat yourself to go at least once. If you've gone...you know why you want to check this out!

Saturday, Nov 21st

11am to 6pm

Green Living Expo

Suffolk County Community College

Brentwood Campus
Sports/Exhibition Complex

101 Crooked Hill Road

Brentwood, NY 11717
For more info:

http://www.greenlivingexpoli.com/

http://www.greenlivingexpoli.com/schedule.html

$10.00 (under 12 years old free)

The Green Living Expo is a 2-day event designed to provide Long Island residents and business owners with the information they need to support a greener way of life here on Long Island. “Green Living” is a new concept for many Long Islanders, for others it has been a way of life for years. Regardless of which category you fall into, being “green” is a notion that has firmly taken root in our society.

The Green Living Expo will be the catalyst between businesses, organizations, and consumers looking for information, inspiration, and innovation. It will provide information to help move us in the direction of a lifestyle that is both economically viable and ecologically sound.

The Green Living Expo will have two full days of programming to make the event both educational and fun. Speakers have been selected for their passion, commitment, innovation, and authority on their “green” topic. There is no additional fee required to attend the programs/lectures/classes.

Sunday, Nov 22nd

11am to 5pm

Green Living Expo

(see Saturday, Nov 21st)

7. Do you garden? Want organic seedlings from your CSA farm???

You can order certified organic seedlings for your garden from our CSA farm, Halsey's Green Thumb Farm, that will be delivered to you when you pick up your CSA share! AND, the prices are the same as last year! If you want something not on the list, call and ask...there's a decent chance they have, or will have, it. Fliers about this are on the CSA Sign-In Table.

How?

Call the farm (631-726-1900) from 9:30am to 4:30pm, order using a credit card (minimum order of $20) and coordinate when you'll be picking up your seedlings with your CSA pickup.

What?

All the pots are 4 1/2" and the cost of each pot is $5.00

Basil, Green

Marigold: Orange (8" to 10")

Mint, Cat

Oregano, Greek

Parsley, Italian Flat Leaf

Petunias: Blue OR Mixed OR Rose

Rosemary

Sorrel

Strawberries, Alpine (very small)

Swiss Chard: Gold OR Green OR Red

Tarragon, French

More varieties coming soon!

8. What you actually got last week

August 6, 2009

Week # 16

1. Beets – 1 bunch - $3.25

2. Radicchio – 1 head - $2.00

3. Lettuce: Bibb, Green OR Leaf, Green – 1 bunch - $2.25

4. Onions, Spring – 1 bunch - $3.50

5. Beans: Dragon Tongue, Green, Romano – 1 lb total - $3.50

6. Kale, Green – 1 bunch - $3.25

Total Items – 6

Total Amount - $17.75 (+$7.25 total extra given to us by our farmer so far this season - over what we pay our farmer per week...$16.50...not much, but over 34 weeks, this all adds up)

Flower Share

Week #8 –Sunflowers

Herb Share – August 1A

Parsley, Curly AND Tarragon, French

9. Do you eat fish? If so, check these out…

Fish guide – least mercury…

http://www.edf.org/documents/1980_pocket_seafood_selector.pdf

Sushi guide…

http://www.montereybayaquarium.org/cr/cr_seafoodwatch/content/media/MBA_SeafoodWatch_SushiGuide.pdf

Cards to leave at restaurants or stores…

http://www.montereybayaquarium.org/cr/cr_seafoodwatch/content/media/MBA_SeafoodWatch_thankyoupostcard.pdf

###